Our city

Our history

For more than 40,000 years the people of the Kulin Nation lived on and managed the land that is now known as the City of Melbourne. They included people of the Boonwurrung, Woiwurrung, Taungurung and Djadjawurrung tribes.

The city we know today was established in 1835 by pastoral settlers from Tasmania and within two years the orderly grid of the central city was laid out beside the Yarra River. In 1842 Melbourne was incorporated as a town, with a Town Council elected to manage the town’s affairs.
Less than a decade later, the 1851 discovery of gold in regional Victoria transformed Melbourne from a small port city into a major world centre. Immigrants poured in from around the world to find their fortune and the rapid population growth and enormous wealth of the goldfields ignited a boom which lasted 40 years. By the 1880s Melbourne was larger than most European cities and its grand buildings rivalled those of New York and London. A global trading centre brimming with optimism and opportunity, the city was celebrated as ‘marvellous Melbourne’, a name it retains today.

Melbourne today

Melbourne’s original city grid has expanded into a major global business centre home to some of Australia’s largest companies and also the regional headquarters of global businesses. Our city is now a thriving residential, entertainment, cultural and educational precinct and its population is growing rapidly as more people seek its many business, work, study and social opportunities.

The central city includes a mix of classical and modern architecture, interesting laneways, arcades and shopping precincts as well as world-class theatre, art galleries, museums and sporting facilities , with a rich cafe culture and restaurant scene that rivals any in the world.
Melbourne is Australia’s retail, events and sporting capital and the city’s many parks, gardens and public squares provide the perfect backdrop to all the city has to offer.

A further two goals relate to our internal organisational performance and give direction for the good governance and management of our organisation. The City of Melbourne will:
7. lead by example

8. manage our resources well.

Message from the Lord Mayor

When I came to office I was determined to establish the Council as a cohesive and effective voice championing Melbourne. Working with fellow councillors, we have taken great strides and we are now a key player in the robust debate shaping the future of our great city.
The 2012–13 Annual Report outlines our efforts at finishing what we started when we were elected in 2008. It tells a story of sound economic management, planning for growth and working to improve city safety and amenity.
During 2012–13 we increased our programs and services by $17 million to $357 million – the largest investment in programs we have ever made. A substantial $117 million in infrastructure spending delivered important community assets such as the Swanston Street redevelopment, the Docklands Library, Carlton Family and Resource Centre, Drill Hall and redevelopment of the Boyd School, as well as new on-road and off-road bike lanes and connections across the city.
We future-proofed our iconic parks and gardens with new trees and innovative water saving projects. We planted 3000 new trees this year and have the potential to save up to 360 million litres of potable water through our water harvesting projects in the Fitzroy Gardens, Birrarung Marr and the Queen Victoria Gardens.

We expanded green public open spaces in our neighbourhoods by building new gardens in Neil Street Carlton and in Errol Street North Melbourne, and upgraded facilities at Domain Gardens, Princess Park, Royal Park, JJ Holland Park and the North Melbourne Community Centre.
We continued to address the critical social issue of city safety by investing $20.8 million in a range of direct and indirect city safety initiatives, with a strong focus on safety around night-time activities including the Queen Street Taxi Rank and Docklands Taxi Shelter.
Our relationship with others is critical to our ability to get things done and we worked closely with our working groups, advisory boards and committees that provide support and enthusiasm, keeping us inspired and on track to deliver a bold, inspirational and sustainable Melbourne.
I am proud to report the City of Melbourne is debt free and we have budgeted for our next four-year Council Plan while maintaining a surplus. Financial strength gives us the ability to fund capital works, programs and activities and adds power to our voice as my fellow Councillors and I continue to advocate for Melbourne.
All of this could not have been delivered without the work of our dedicated staff and volunteers. I would like to offer my sincere gratitude to all those who have contributed to the City of Melbourne’s success.

Message from the CEO

The past 12 months were very busy as we worked to bring our Council Plan 2009–13 to completion. Our dedicated staff worked hard as individuals and teams to contribute to achieving the community’s vision for a bold, inspirational and sustainable city. Their efforts have generated a year filled with achievements for the City of Melbourne and more benefits and opportunities for the people who live, work and visit here.

Community engagement is vital to our core business and we embed it in everything we do as an organisation. We introduced our Community Engagement Framework in 2009 and since then have become a leader in finding new ways to engage with our community to better understand their aspirations, needs and opinions. Every major project we do involves community consultation at some level. We continue to train staff from across all five divisions to develop and implement their own community engagement strategies. We also are getting better at engaging online and in June launched our new Participate Melbourne website.
Sustainability continued to be foremost on our agenda as we worked towards strengthening our city’s resilience to climate change. In March, we were certified carbon neutral for council operations, a significant step towards our aspirational goal of achieving zero net emissions for the city by 2020. We entered into an Environmental Upgrade Agreement to retrofit one of our city office block and established the Exceptional Tree Register to protect the city’s significant trees. Implementation of our Urban Forest and Open Space Strategies are now well underway, along with a number of stormwater harvesting projects. These significant achievements are by no means the end of our eco journey and we continue to work on projects across the municipality to preserve our future.

Focusing on how we manage our own resources has enabled us to remain a financially responsible organisation. Our Lean journey, which began in 2009, has continued to return a steady stream of improvement to the City of Melbourne. More than 500 staff completed the Lean Essentials and Lean Basics workshops, and a further 73 graduated from the intensive Lean Learner and Lean Practitioner courses. Lean thinking helped us save money while improving services in areas including aged care, maternal child health, arts grants, permits, parking and document management.

Local government elections in October saw us welcome five new Councillors, each bringing their different experiences, skills and perspectives to the development of our organisation and city. Voters returned the Lord Mayor for his second term in the elections, along with the Deputy Lord Mayor and four serving Councillors.
I use this opportunity to acknowledge and highlight the considerable efforts of all City of Melbourne staff. Your dedication, passion and persistence have been an inspiration. Your efforts were recognised through a raft of prestigious awards. You are a huge part of our sustained success as the world’s most liveable city and your contributions are what makes ‘marvellous Melbourne’ today.
I look forward to continue working with staff, the community and the Council to see Melbourne recognised as a bold, inspirational and sustainable city for many years to come.

Dr Kathy Alexander

Chief Executive Officer

City of Melbourne

Our Council

The Council comprises a lord mayor and deputy lord mayor and nine councillors.

Under the provision of the City of Melbourne Act 2001 (Vic):

Melbourne is not divided into wards

the leadership team is elected separately from councillors

the preferential voting system is used to elect the leadership team and proportional representation is used to elect councillors.

Melbourne City Council operates as a public statutory body incorporated under the Local Government Act 1989 (Vic). The Act sets out the purposes and objectives of the Council and defines its functions and powers.

The role of the Council is to govern the municipality of Melbourne in service of the community.

The Council:

acts as a representative government and considers community needs when making decisions

establishes strategic objectives for municipal services and monitors their achievement

oversees the responsible and accountable management of the City of Melbourne’s resources

is a responsible partner in government, taking the needs of other communities into account

fosters community cohesion and encourages participation in civic life.

Our Councillors

In 2012–13 the community was represented by the following office bearers on the Melbourne City Council. The positions held by office bearers in the profiles outlined below reflect membership of those bodies and committees which were in operation on 30 June 2013.

Lord Mayor Robert Doyle

First elected as Lord Mayor in 2008 and re-elected in 2012

The Lord Mayor is Chair of meetings of the Melbourne City Council. He is also the Chair of the Future Melbourne (Major Projects) Committee. The Lord Mayor also represents the City of Melbourne on following external organisations:

Cr Richard Foster is Chair of the Future Melbourne (People City) Committee and Deputy Chair of the Future Melbourne (Transport) Committee.
Cr Foster also represents the City of Melbourne on the following advisory committees and external organisations:

Cr Rohan Leppert is Chair of the Future Melbourne (Arts and Culture) Committee and Deputy Chair of the Future Melbourne (Finance and Governance) Committee.
Cr Leppert also represents the City of Melbourne on the following advisory committees and external organisations:

Audit Committee, City of Melbourne

Victorian Local Governance Association

Melbourne Music Week Steering Committee

Music Strategy Advisory Committee

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Board.

Councillor Kevin Louey

First elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2012

Cr Kevin Louey is Chair of the Future Melbourne (Economic Development) Committee and Deputy Chair of the Future Melbourne (Knowledge City) Committee. He is also Co-Chair of the Docklands Coordination Committee.

Cr Louey also represents the City of Melbourne on the following advisory committees and external organisations:

Docklands Steering Group

City Licensing Approvals Forum

Melbourne Business Precincts Inc

Business Partner City Network

Melbourne Retail and Hospitality Advisory Board.

Councillor Stephen Mayne

Elected in 2012

Cr Stephen Mayne is Chair of the Future Melbourne (Finance and Governance) Committee and Deputy Chair of the Future Melbourne (Planning) Committee.
Cr Mayne also represents the City of Melbourne on the following advisory committees and external organisations:

Audit Committee, City of Melbourne

Municipal Association of Victoria

Melbourne Art Trust

Inner South Metropolitan Mayor’s Forum

Melbourne Business Precincts Inc.

Councillor Cathy Oke

First elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2012

Cr Cathy Oke is Chair of the Future Melbourne (Transport) Committee, Deputy Chair of the Future Melbourne (Environment) Committee.
She represents the City of Melbourne on the following advisory committees and external organisations:

Cr Ong is Chair of the Future Melbourne (Planning) Committee, Deputy Chair of the Future Melbourne (Major Projects) Committee. Cr Ong also represents the City of Melbourne on the following advisory committees and external organisations:

Committee for Melbourne

Disability Advisory Committee

Metropolitan Local Government Waste Forum

Inner Melbourne Action Plan Implementation Committee.

Councillor Beverley Pinder-Mortimer

Elected in 2012

Cr Beverley Pinder-Mortimer is Chair of the Future Melbourne (Marketing Melbourne) Committee and Deputy Chair of the Future Melbourne (Arts and Culture) Committee. She also represents the City of Melbourne on the following advisory committees and external organisations:

Lord Mayor’s Commendations Advisory Group

Melbourne Awards Advisory Board

Melbourne Music Steering Committee

Melbourne Retail and Hospitality Advisory Board

Melbourne Spring Fashion Week Advisory Board.

Councillor Jackie Watts
First elected on count back in July 2011 and re-elected in 2012

Cr Arron Wood is Chair of the Future Melbourne (Environment) Committee and Deputy Chair of the Future Melbourne (Economic Development) Committee. He also represents the City of Melbourne on the following advisory committees and external organisations: